Motivation: applied to the hide...Back in the Day

September 1967, I was a 13 year old 9th Grade Freshman at John J. Pershing High School in Detroit. It had been a Fun but rough hot summer in the city. Truly the best AND Worst of times. My First day in the Building I met a relentless Man, who somehow already knew my Name. That Summer my body had outgrown my Musculature. The arms and legs just didn't move in sync with where I wanted to go and certainly not with any speed or power. But as I said, Coach Rob was Relentless. He applied "Motivation" for the "Rope Climb" and the Pull-up Bar, not to mention the "Panic Swim" and Friday's "Miracle Mile". And when His arms got tired he used leverage in the form of an upperclassman neighborhood Nemesis, who never tired. Coach Rob never gave up on The "Snead Kid" as I overheard him describe me to the Football coach. Later on I remember sneakin' into the gym (Like I owned the Place) upon hearing the Girls running around the track above the gym. I quickly shot up that climbing rope to get eye level with them and waved them over with my freehand. I was asking them If I could help them with their "Homework" and perhaps join me on a "Physiology Project" I was working on. LOL! They all giggled,"Snead You so Crazy.." and quickly scurried to their side of the Gym divider. As I slowly and smoothly lowered my self to the gyn floor, eyes never leaving the last of the ladies forms gliding 'round the track to the other side, I suddenly felt The Heat of Motivation! I was motivated by this Little Man with the growling voice that could and would be heard and is still reverberating in the Minds of Men to this very day. No more Unsupervised rope climb's for me. And I don't know how I broke my 6:02 time in those 16 laps 'round the track that afternoon, running up on my toes, in full stride, arms pumping, head high, breathing deep and no ways tired. Must have been Motivation applied. And like I said, Coach William Robinson was Relentless.